Tome of Troubled Times

Chapter 170: Tang Wanzhuang Wishes to See You

The weather was already hot, and under the influence of the drugs, the heat became unbearable. Zhao Changhe took off his clothes and tossed them aside, revealing the scars all over his body that still hadn’t healed.

Sisi subconsciously moved further into the bed.

“Stop pretending.” Zhao Changhe walked to the table, poured a glass of water, and gulped it down. “Even if you aren’t immune to the aphrodisiac, it shouldn’t be as exaggerated as you’re showing.”

Sisi paused, her writhing easing slightly. Then, she awkwardly replied, “It’s really uncomfortable. I do have some resistance to it, but I’m not immune... The main thing is that she made me ingest it, which is worse than merely inhaling the fumes...”

Zhao Changhe said directly, “Are you really poisoned then? If I sleep with you, would that count as saving you?”

Sisi bit her lower lip and said nothing.

Zhao Changhe squinted at her. “Do you just think that if I sleep with you, I might feel awkward about killing you or sending you to the Demon Suppression Bureau? Is that why you’re trying to seduce me?”

Sisi was stunned for a moment, and it was clear that she felt truly insulted. Her face flushed red instantly as she retorted loudly, “I wasn’t thinking that!”

“Oh, then maybe you’re thinking that using your body to compensate for what you’ve done is the right way to go? Don’t tell me that you’ve really taken a liking to me...have you?”

Again, Sisi fell silent.

“No matter what thoughts you’re hiding, I doubt you even understand them yourself... Anyway, generally, when both parties are willing, then even if they use whatever substances, it doesn’t matter. But in this case, it would just be rape. Do you think I would do that?” Zhao Changhe poured another glass of water and suddenly splashed it on her face. “Calm down.”

Sisi: “...”

“In any case, your poison only really serves to stimulate one’s desires, even though I have to say it’s quite potent. But in the end, desires are still just desires. A splash of cold water and they’re gone. You should be feeling much better now, right?”

Zhao Changhe poured another glass of water and seemed to consider splashing it on itself, but he hesitated and ultimately did not do so.

Sisi exclaimed, “Why aren’t you splashing yourself?”

“I can endure it for now. Why would I make myself look miserable for no reason?” Zhao Changhe decided against splashing himself and glanced at her sideways. “Hey, as a maid, you should be willing to help your master get off, right?”

Sisi was dumbfounded. “What do you mean by get off?”

“...Forget it.” Zhao Changhe walked to the side of the room to wash his face with some water. He said, “Although I’m very angry, I’m not angry enough to actually want to kill you.”

Sisi was stunned. She asked after a long while, “Is it because... you also knew it?”

“More or less. If you’re mentally prepared, then you won’t feel much shock or anger when you get betrayed.” Zhao Changhe rubbed his face and sighed. “Although there is no deep enmity between us, we aren’t exactly friends either. Even though we always smiled at each other, we were always secretly wary of one another. Nothing you did would have surprised me. Did you really think that we fooled ourselves with our horrible acting?”

Sisi pursed her lips and said nothing.

Zhao Changhe continued, “If we were to talk about genuine feelings, then I can’t say there were none. After all, we fought side by side and we helped each other. I genuinely hoped that you could become a friend, but I was disappointed in the end... From now on, we can never have any ties of gratitude or loyalty, and I won’t harbor such unrealistic expectations anymore.”

Sisi loudly said, “You have no interest in the sword seal at all. I’m just competing with Tang Wanzhuang, or rather, with the Great Xia Empire for it! If it belonged to you, I would have discussed it with you directly!!”

What she was trying to say was that she regarded him as a friend, and she was just seizing something that was to go to someone else.

Zhao Changhe said, “Why do you feel guilty then?”

Sisi said, “Well, I used your Dragon Bird to lure the sword guardian... I knew Tang Wanzhuang would definitely save you, which would drag her into your battle. But I was also worried that something would really happen to you! That’s why I ordered my terracotta warriors to help you restrain the sword guardian!”

“What if something did happen to me? If I had not broken the suppression of the sword domain, I might not have been able to withstand a single sword strike from the sword guardian, and I would’ve gotten killed instantly.”

Sisi lowered her head and reluctantly admitted, “That’s why I felt guilty... I’ve said it before, even if you hit me, scold me, or even want to kill me, I deserve it...”

“You think that the interests of your tribe are more important than friendship. In fact, I understand that... Our relationship has not even really reached that level yet. Although I’m unhappy, I’m not really angry about that.”

Sisi was stunned. “Then what are you angry about?”

Zhao Changhe said with a straight face, “It’s because I vouched for you, and First Seat Tang let you into the tomb today on my behalf. But then you caused trouble and made me lose face in front of her. That’s a clear betrayal.”

Sisi stared at him blankly for a long time. Even though she knew it was inappropriate, she could not help but laugh out loud. “So, you aren’t upset about having to take responsibility, but because you lost face?”

Zhao Changhe remained silent with a stern expression.

“You have every right to be angry about that, but I thought you were angry at me for poisoning Tang Wanzhuang.” Sisi sniffed and whispered, “I have no relationship with Tang Wanzhuang, so whether I’m competing with her for something or doing something to her for your sake, it’s not a big deal to me. I’ll accept it if you’re angry and want to punish me, but if you feel like you’re causing trouble for her because of me, then I won’t accept it. Who is she to me? Why should I care what she does or thinks?”

Zhao Changhe was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

This was a real difference in their values. Sisi had never entertained the idea that deceiving or trapping others was a big deal. No matter whether it was the Thieves Guild or the Maitreya Cult, a little maid she did not know, or even Tang Wanzhuang now. As long as they were not on her side, she had never cared for them.

She claimed to be a bad woman, but deep down, she never really believed it. She simply thought that her actions were normal. It was just that she had heard from his story that he considered such actions to be the deeds of villains, so she referred to herself as a villain.

She really was not like A’Zhu, but rather A’Zi.[1]

“What if someone else were to do the same to you? Would you still think that it’s normal?”

“Of course it’s normal. If I get tricked, it just means that I’m dumb or not as skilled as the other person. Why would I blame them for that?”

“So, if First Seat Tang catches you, feeds you a mouthful of aphrodisiac, and makes you accompany me in bed, you won’t think ill of her, right?”

Sisi fell silent for a moment before saying, “The winner is king, the loser is a rebel. I tricked her and poisoned her, and she retaliated against me. I’m afraid she also thinks that it’s fair game. If someone else was in her position, who knows how long they would have lasted. Why do you think that it would be considered rape and can’t bring yourself to do it? You’re both people of the Great Xia, with different views on good and evil, and yet you’re trying to persuade and educate me, a foreigner, just because my views are different from yours. It’s really strange.”

Zhao Changhe was dumbfounded. “So you were seducing me so eagerly earlier because you were trying to please me and make me act faster?”

Sisi tilted her head slightly and muttered, “I don’t know why I was so foolish this time. My schemes were all a mess, I did everything if I didn’t really care about the consequences. I deserve what I got. Anyway, if she wants me to compensate you myself, I think that it makes sense. The poison inside you hasn’t worn off yet, so if you want to do it, then do it quickly. Afterward, if you let me go because I did not intend you any harm, then I’d be very grateful.”

She had just been splashed in the face with water. Her face was still wet and her hair was disheveled. Water was dripping down her chin onto her chest, leaving a large area damp. This look, coupled with their conversation, was enough to ignite the flames of desire without the need for any drugs, leaving anyone feeling hot all over.

Zhao Changhe could not help but gulp as he slowly approached her, reaching his hand out toward her chest.

Thinking that they were about to start, Sisi’s eyelashes trembled slightly. She felt a bit reluctant but she obediently closed her eyes in the end.

His hand reached into her chest and shamelessly gave it a squeeze. Sisi’s face flushed red and she was unable to suppress a moan.

Zhao Changhe suddenly remembered that when she had disguised herself as Yue Hongling and was touched in the same manner, she had a similar reaction.

Suddenly losing interest, he pulled out the sword seal and took a step back.

Sisi opened her eyes in surprise.

“I said I was angry, but not to that extent... Punishment and lessons are necessary. Confiscating the sword seal is more than enough punishment for you. For me, this is sufficient.”

Sisi said in surprise, “What about Tang Wanzhuang? She seemed so angry.”

“Do you really think she’s on the same level as you? Since she left the decision to me, she will support whatever decision I make. That’s called magnanimity,” Zhao Changhe replied, tossing the sword seal aside. “Actually, I know what she would appreciate the most, I know the kind of demeanor she wants to see from me. I’m just really not keen on doing it...”

Sisi found herself unable to keep up with his train of thought, realizing that despite considering herself intelligent, she seemed to be outmatched by him. At the very least, when it came to the two major cases in Yangzhou and Gusu, she could not match his thinking at all.

Feeling a bit dejected as she thought of this, she lowered her head in frustration. “Anyway, I’ve lost everything. What else can I do?”

“...Don’t you still have your innocence? The sword seal was never yours to begin with. When you actually think about it, you haven’t lost anything, so why are you acting so pitiful?” Zhao Changhe said expressionlessly. “Now that I think about it, I’m starting to feel annoyed again. I suppose I’ll have to make you do something.”

If it weren’t for her being tied up, Sisi would have wanted to slap herself.

Zhao Changhe said, “The sword seal must be returned to the Great Xia, but as long as you give me a few days to study it, I can extract a complete set of the Sword Emperor’s sword arts from it for you to take back. It seems like that would fulfill your purpose, wouldn’t it?”

Sisi was stunned and could hardly believe her ears. “You... You’re still willing to give that to me?”

“That’s right, but it’s a trade. I will give you the sword arts, and in return, you’ll provide First Seat Tang with the ancient records, secret scrolls, and knowledge of tomb arrangements and restrictions from the Ancient Spirit Tribe... Also, you will establish a secret trade deal with the Demon Suppression Bureau, providing them with special products from the Ancient Spirit Tribe. If you can provide things like witchcraft or gu arts in exchange, they’ll be included as well. As part of the exchange, the Demon Suppression Bureau will also provide you with some martial arts and special products from the Central Plains. That way, you won’t need to continue stealing and tricking others.”

Sisi’s eyes grew wider and wider as she listened.

Indeed, if the identity that Dragon Bird hinted at was true, this was definitely the performance that Tang Wanzhuang hoped to see from him to most.

Compared to this, everything else—grudges, deceit, and offenses—did not matter in the slightest to Tang Wanzhuang.

Sisi suddenly thought of something. No matter how they behaved in the tomb or now, they never actually communicated with each other, but they seemed to know what the other planned to do and what they hoped to do. The tacit understanding between them is surprising... I thought that he and Yue Hongling were a perfect match, but now it seems that he and Tang Wanzhuang are also a great match. And yet, the two of them are completely different types of women...

Zhao Changhe said, “I don’t know what kind of education you received, but as a princess who is qualified to succeed to the throne, you should be thinking of helping your tribe develop. This is the kind of thing you should have aimed for instead of resorting to theft and deceit.”

Sisi said nonchalantly, “That’s because I couldn’t establish trust. If I leaked any information about the Ancient Spirit Tribe... Hey, wait, how do you know that I’m from the Ancient Spirit Tribe?”

“...That’s none of your business.”

Sisi looked at him suspiciously for a while, then continued, “Leaking the secrets of the tribe may cause trouble. How could I easily engage in such relations with others? But now... Well, if it’s you...”

Zhao Changhe had an expressionless face as he said, “You trust me? Well, thank you for that. However, I don’t dare to trust you right now. What if you took the sword arts and just hid inside the Ancient Spirit Tribe and never came out again, wouldn’t I have been taken advantage of? Getting betrayed once is enough for me.”

Sisi looked at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes, but eventually sighed, “You’re right, so what kind of restrictions do you want to impose on me?”

The two looked at each other in silence for a moment, and they both nearly simultaneously thought of the methods of control of the Pure Bliss Art. If karma really existed, then it seemed like they were fated to meet here.

However, Zhao Changhe had long since abandoned such thoughts. Even the poison inside his body had completely dissipated.

He pursed his lips and finally stood up. “Let’s go. What kind of restrictions can I impose with my limited cultivation? This matter should be left to First Seat Tang.”

1. This is still a reference to the Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon. ☜